The Kingsland Booster Club inducted two new members, Bonnie Hammon and Tom Hughes, to their Hall of Fame on Saturday, March 28, 2026.
For the booster club this bi-annual event is one of their biggest fundraisers thanks to the auction and gun raffle. Around 125 area businesses and families donated to the auction. But the real focus is on those who have made a difference.
“The reason we do the Hall of Fame is to recognize people,” booster club CEO Stacey Rath expressed.
“Sometimes it is coaches, sometimes it’s athletes and then you have people who aren’t inducted as an athlete, but for what they have done for Kingsland, Spring Valley and Wykoff in general,” booster club President, Tyler Himle explained. “It’s a wide array of individuals who have contributed.”
For over 40 years Bonnie Hammon has been a dedicated super fan. According to Rath, who is also Hammon’s daughter, “She has worn many hats and is always willing to step in and help wherever she’s needed.”
Whether it has been making an estimated 10,000 parents night buttons, taking stats, reffing or selling concessions Bonnie has done it all.
“Bonnie has helped so many people,” Himle shared. “Maybe not everyone knew Bonnie personally, but everyone at that banquet had interacted with her in some small way whether is was a conversation, making a button or simply serving a bag of popcorn.”
But for Hammon, it isn’t about the recognition, in fact when she learned she had been chosen she tried to decline the honor. For Hammon it is all about the feeling she gets when she volunteers.
“Whatever you can do to help out in different ways, it just makes you feel good about it,” Hammon said.
When asked what being inducted meant to her, Hammon shared, “It just shows that people care about you and show respect for you. You are willing to do things and hope it encourages others to do the same. It’s a rewarding experience to know you are helping others out.”
Tom Hughes set records in his wrestling career and when it came to nominations it was no different.
“We had more nominations for him than we’ve ever had for anyone. He was the only wrestler from Spring Valley, Wykoff or Kingsland to ever win the state championship,” Rath said.
Hughes began wrestling in seventh grade and through that time he wrestled only one B-squad match. By ninth grade his winning record earned him the spot of co-captain. In 1971, he won the state championship at 112 pounds. He was recognized as a National High School All-American the same year.
“As a co-captain it was kind of a job for me. I was proud of what I was doing and I was confident in myself but I didn’t think of myself as being that great. I never processed any of that,” Hughes explained. “My wife finally convinced me, she said ‘what you did was pretty outstanding.’
Hughes didn’t just focus on wrestling, though. He was a four sport athlete most of his high school career and, on top of that, he worked 38 hours a week at Jim Costello’s City Service.
Hughes went on to Mankato State with a full scholarship where he wrestled one year before being drafted and sent Germany for two years. Once back on American soil he returned to Mankato State.
In 2010, Hughes was inducted into the Mayo Civic Region One Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Hughes passed his knowledge down to the next generation of wrestlers as a successful coach in several schools throughout Minnesota.
Hughes shared coaching gave him a great sense of fulfillment, “I really enjoyed it because you kind of get to relive some of your experiences.”
It is similar for the Hall of Fame, as Himle said, “It’s an important retelling of Spring Valley, Wykoff and Kingsland’s history. It’s fun to highlight people who have had great success and who have given back. It shows thanks to those people for putting Kingsland, Spring Valley and Wykoff on the map and also for the hard work they’ve done to give back to our community.”
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